Ask the Experts - What do you see as the "next big thing" in the parking industry?

What do you see as the "next big thing" in
the parking industry?

Brian Shaw
Senior Planner
Sam Schwartz Engineering

The next big thing is the integration of smart cards and cell
phones into how people pay to park. This will be combined with
transit access as well to provide a seemless and easy way for
people to pay for their transportation, whether needing to drive
and park, ride transit or both. Automated parking will also be
growing in its use as land gets more scarce in urban settings and
the technology becomes more reliable and cheaper.

Derek Kiley
President
WPS North America

One potential significant change in our industry will be the
centralization of all credentials, anywhere in the country to the
internet. This would be the most efficient and assured way of
handling permits, contract parkers, reservations and electronic
payments (credit card) of all media listed. The signatures can be
connected to car license plates…not car drivers. If unique or
additional recognition is required on-site than the car driver can
be "sub" certified as well. This is actually happening already…just
in fragmented phases and very slowly. Let's fast forward one year
and check our predictions.

John Nolte, CAPP
Studies Specialist
Carl Walker, Inc.

I think we have only seen the tip the technology advances in
parking space monitoring and payment systems. The integration of
satellite imagery, and real-time communication with parking pay
stations and space monitoring systems is still in its infancy. The
automated enforcement systems are still evolving as well. So I
think parking payment systems, space monitoring systems, and
integrated enforcement technology is still a big wave coming.

There is an App for that! The industry is quickly moving through
a number of technological applications that will change the way we
manage operations, employees, transportation, parking inventory,
payments, etc.